Peter Hendy (Eden-Monaro, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Productivity) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

Where export tariff rate quotas are established by trade agreements Australia seeks to manage the quotas in order to offer exporters the maximum concessions possible on agricultural products.

Australia currently administers 33 quotas that save exporters millions of dollars in tariffs each year.

For example, the eight new quotas introduced under the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement saved exporters approximately $3 million in tariffs between January and May 2015.

Current arrangements provide for quota to be managed under four separate acts.

Consultation with industry has determined that a comprehensive quota regime is preferred to the current arrangements.

Today the government brings forward the Export Control Amendment (Quotas) Bill so that all quota export certification arrangements for agriculture can be carried out under a common set of powers.

This would be achieved by abolishing one act in its entirety, parts or divisions of two other acts and consolidating provisions within the Export Control Act 1982.

This bill proposes amendments that would provide the secretary with powers to make orders providing for, or in relation to, the establishment and administration of a system or systems of tariff rate quotas.

Orders are proposed to be made to cover goods currently subject to quota regulation but could cover any other goods that quotas may apply to in the future.

The bill will provide the ability for the secretary to make directions in relation to matters covered by an order.

The proposed amendments will also enable the directions to override the order. These powers are similar to powers regulating existing meat quotas under the Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act 1997.

This bill would also introduce new powers consistent with contemporary, flexible and efficient legislation. These include the use of registers and computer systems to make decisions in relation to tariff rate quotas.

The bill facilitates a reduction in red tape in accordance with the government's election commitments.

Bringing regulation of quotas under the same legislation as other export controls of the same commodities will offer opportunities for synergies in deployment of resources.

It will also enable a consistent approach to appointment of third parties as authorised officers where they are permitted by importing countries.

The bill will commence on royal assent except for repeals of existing regulation of quotas. This allows for all existing quotas to run their course under current legislative arrangements before being phased out and orders under the new powers to commence. The existing legislation governing quotas is repealed later on 1 January 2017.

The bill complements the government's strategic approach for capturing premium markets outlined in the Agricultural competitiveness white paper and builds on the gains from recent free trade agreements with our major trading partners.

Debate adjourned.